More than 80 boats carrying Rohingyas pushed back: BGB

The Bangladesh border force at Cox's Bazar says it has pushed back as many as 86 boats carrying Rohingyas since Nov 21.

On Saturday, two boats have been stopped on the Naf River while crossing into the country, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) officials say.

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims are trying to flee a military crackdown in the Rakhine State, in an attempt to escape an upsurge of violence.

Cox's Bazar-based BGB 2 Battalion's deputy chief Major Abu Rasel Siddiqui said at least 20 Rohingyas on two boats tried to enter Bangladeshi waters early on Saturday through the Jadimura point on the Naf River.

BGB patrols on the river pushed them back to Myanmar, he said adding since Nov 21 as many as 86 boats carrying Rohingyas have been stopped while crossing into Bangladesh.

The Myanmar army has declared the Muslim Rohingya-majority northern Rakhine as an "operations zone", where it claims to be battling Islamist insurgents.

Journalists have been prevented from visiting the area.

The military crackdown began after nine border police personnel were killed in attacks by 'insurgents' at three outposts on Oct 9.

Authorities have confirmed 86 deaths and said that 69 of them were suspected militants. Rights groups claim the number of deaths is much higher.

Myanmar has also rebuffed rights groups' claims of rape, arson and killing of civilians.

Hundreds of Rohingyas are trying to cross the border into Bangladesh amid escalating violence, but the Myanmar government denies it.

The 1.1 million Rohingyas are seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh by many of the country's majority Buddhists.

They are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions on their travel.

Up to 30,000 people are now estimated to be displaced and thousands more affected by the recent fighting, the UN has said.